The Lost Princess
by Miaou27
Summary: What would happen if Dr. Erland told Cinder that she was Selene before she got arrested? Would Cinder go to the ball? Would Scarlet's grandmother still be alive? Would Thorne still be in prison? Would Cress still be in her satellite? Would Winter still be alive? May change rating. Cress will be a bigger part in this then you'd expect.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So this chapter is so short, I'll update the next one soon.**

 **From Chapter Twenty-Five:**

 _"You are the miracle I was looking for," He said. "But you are right. It was not because of your immunity."_

The doctor sighed. "I don't know how to say this, but you are the lost princess, Selene Blackburn. I have proof from your blood.

Cinder stared at him, but she actually believed him. He had proof.

But before she could ask him the million questions coming into her mind, green text came into her vision.

 _COMM RECEIVED FROM NEW BEIJING DISTRICT 29, LETUMOSIS QUARANTINE. LINH PEONY ENTERED FOURTH STAGE OF LETUMOSIS AT 17:24 ON 18 AUG 126 T.E._


	2. Chapter 2

Cinder looked at the knife in her hand. She pressed it against her skin, but then put it back on her desk.

Cinder thought about what Dr. Erland had said, and she decided that she believed him. She definitely wanted further explanation, but now she still believed him. Cinder told herself that she would wait to escape Adri and Pearl as she looked at the knife, even though she knew that she probably wasn't going to get a chance like this again.

Cinder stopped staring at the knife, when a beep from the old netscreen started her.

DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK REQUEST

Cinder knew that the net was off, but then remembered the chip. She also remembered that it was Lunar, but she still accepted it.

The screen was black, but Cinder heard shuffling on the other end.

Then, whoever was on the other end sighed, "Please pick up." The person, that Cinder recognized as female, plead.

"Hello?" Cinder asked the black screen.

"Hello?" The woman said back.

"There seems to be a problem with the screen." Cinder pressed a button on her netscreen, then the woman's face appeared.

 _She jolted back when she saw the girl on the other side of the connection. She must have been close to Cinder's age and had the longest, waviest, most unruly mess of tangled blonde hair imaginable. The golden nest around her head was tied in a big knot over one shoulder and cascaded in a jumble of braids and snarls, wrapping around one of the girl's arms before descending out of the screen's view. The girl was fidgeting with the ends, fervently winding and unwinding them around her fingers._

 _If it weren't for the mess of hair, she would have been pretty. She had a sweet heart-shaped face, giant sky-blue eyes, and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose._

 _She was somehow not at all what Cinder had been expecting._

 _The girl looked equally surprised at seeing Cinder and her cyborg hand and dreary T-shirt._

 _"Who are you?" the girl asked._

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Cinder looked back at the screen. The girl was wiping her tears away. "I need you to tell Kai that he can't marry Levana. Once she becomes empress, she's going to kill him."

Cinder looked the girl in the eye and made a choice, that might've changed her life. "I can't get to him until tommorw. He's at the ball right now."

"You have to get to him right now! He's going to propose at the ball!" The girl responded.

"I can't get to the ball, it already started, and you have to RSVP to get in." Cinder admitted, but was glad she had an excuse.

The girl looked stressed. "Well, you need to tell him soon. You can probably stop a proposal. Keep this chip with you, in case we ever need to contact each other again."

"Okay, but first, what's your name? I need something to put into my netscreen." Cinder said. "I'm Cinder."

"I'm-" The girl hesitated for a second. "Cress, but please don't tell my mistress. She would-"

Cinder pulled out the chip.


	3. Chapter 3

Kai bit his tongue, trying to hold back any sign of hate.

He was wearing the prissiest outfit, and had his hands on Levana's shoulders. They were dancing on the ballroom floor with all of New Bejing watching. Kai tried to look normal, not bored and disgusted like he felt. Levana was smiling, but very faint. She probably felt the same towards him.

When the song ended Kai bowed to Levana and walked away from the dance floor. Levana walked to the other side of the room.

Kai was headed towards the appetizers, when a girl walked up to him. Kai could instantly recognize her, it was the girl in the market. Cinder's sister.

"Pri-Emperor Kai!" The girl, Pearl, said.

Kai smiled, "Pearl, right?"

"Yes, very nice to see you again."

"You too," Kai knew it was rude, but he had to get to the point. "Has Cinder arrived yet?"

Kai knew she didn't, he told the guards to announce her and she told him that she wasn't going multiple times. He just asked to know why, even though he was expecting a hurt response.

But instead of looking hurt, Pearl had an evil grin. "She's not coming." She spat.

"Do you know why?"

Her smile soften. "This family's been going through some hard times." She responded nodding. "My sister recently passed away. I wasn't sure if I was even going to come! This ball would be her first, and it meant a lot to her."

"I'm so sorry," Kai sympathized.

"Thank you, but I can also think of a few other reasons Cinder didn't come." Pearl said.

Kai's kept starring at Pearl, wondering if it was too personal to ask what were those reasons, when his attention was taken away from Pearl when a guard yelled to the room. "We're closing the doors!"

He turned back to Pearl, feeling disappointed that Cinder wasn't coming. "What are those reasons?"

Pearl laughed. "You wouldn't want to know."

"I wouldn't mind, unless you don't want to share it." Kai responded.

Pearl looked at the people surrounding them, then specifically an older woman. The woman gave Pearl an angry glare."I'd rather not."

Then Kai noticed Torin coming up to them. When he reached them, in a matter of seconds, Torin stopped walking and stood next to Kai.

Pearl bowed. "Your majesty," She said, then left.

"It's time, your majesty." Torin said when Pearl started talking to the older woman.

What other reason would Cinder not want to go to the ball?


	4. Chapter 4

Cinder woke up in her small bed. She would love to sleep more, but she needed to see the news about the ball. She sat up and looked at news articles about last night's ball. Of course, the all were about the proposal. Cinder expected that, but if Cress was right, he needed to get out of this.

How was Cinder going to do this?

She was surprised that she was trying to stop a royal wedding, but in her mind in made sense. Levana probably killed her sister, previous husband, and niece.

No, Cinder, according to Dr. Erland.

That was another factor.

She scratched the back of her head, feeling the metal. Occurring to the same news article that talked about the proposal, Levana was leaving tomorrow. Cinder decided that she would keep her promise to Dr. Erland, and go see him after Levana leaves. Cinder owed him so much, even though Peony died.

Cinder got up and got dressed, she still had work.

The market wasn't busy, she so far had no customers. The whole time Cinder tried to gather everything she could find about Levana and Princess Selene. She saved everything into a file while all this information sorted out in her brain. She wasn't sure how this was going to work, but it was. She was given too much information, that, without realizing it, a whole revolution was forming in her head.

Cinder opened the door of their apartment and saw Pearl watching the net screen on the wall, it probably was just a net drama.

Cinder hadn't seen her stepsister after the ball, and she wasn't expecting to because of her plan to escape. That's when it hit her, Pearl could've told Kai that she was a cyborg!

When Cinder shut the door, it caught Pearl's attention. She looked at Cinder and then paused her net drama.

"Hello Cinder," She said happily, she knew something.

Cinder put on her cheesiest grin. "How was the ball?"

Pearl sat up and turned her body towards Cinder. "Wonderful," She responded.

Cinder headed towards her room with her head down. "Too bad,"

As Cinder walked past Pearl, she grabbed her shoulder. "I talked to the prince."

"Good, for you. Did you get married?"

"I didn't tell him you were cyborg, freak." She said, ignoring Cinder's comment.

Cinder tried to push past Pearl, but she grasped on harder. "What do you want?" Cinder asked.

"Nothing," Pearl let go, but was still smirking.

Cinder started to walk away, happy about how short this conversation was.

But when she got close to the stairs, she was interrupted. "Wait, I also want to know why you are calling someone on an international chip."

Cinder stopped. "What?"

Pearl crossed her arms."Who's Cress?"

Cinder tried to think of a quick lie. "She helped me with some mechanic stuff. I didn't know how to fix a certain type of android."

Cinder's lie didn't even sound convincing in her head.

"I don't believe you." She scoffed. "But, I'll pretend not to be curious if you grant me a few favors."

Cinder put her hands on her hips. "What?"

"Look, I know Mom wouldn't want you to be talking to someone in another country." Pear put her own hands on her hips. "I won't tell her if you do a few things for me."

Cinder sighed, "Fine, what do you want?"

"Number one," She put one finger up. "I want to know what's going on."

"I thought you said you weren't going to be curious." Cinder said.

"About Cress," Pearl responded. "I want to know the real reason why you went to the palace and aren't at home or the booth."

"What?" Cinder asked, a little surprised.

How did Pearl know that Cinder was not at home or the booth?

"Yeah, I know." Pearl answered. "I knew you weren't home one day, so I went your booth. You weren't there, so I went back the next day, and the next, and the one after that, etc."

"Why didn't you tell Adri?" Cinder asked.

Pearl just shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to blackmail you."

"Okay, what else?"

"Well, of course, I want you to do the first one. Where were you Cinder?" She answered.

Cinder thought a second. "I was seeing Kai," Cinder lied.

Pearl gave her a devilish grin. "Are you guys seeing each other, seeing each other?"

"Oh, stars no!" Cinder answered.

No, Pearl, Cinder wanted to say, he's engaged.

"Oh yeah, that wouldn't be possible." Pearl said.

"Why?" Cinder yelled a little to forcefully.

"He would know about your little secret." She said while grinning.

Cinder would be red if she could be.

"Then what were you doing with Kai?" Pearl asked, saying "Kai" very high pitched.

"We're just friends Pearl, we were just hanging out." Cinder said, and she knew it wasn't convincing.

"Stop lying Cinder," Pearl scolded. "I'll tell Mom if you don't tell. Even though you suck, I've known you long enough to tell when you're lying."

"I'm protesting Levana."

"Mom!"

"Fine, I'm helping the doctor who works their. We're trying to find the cure to the blue fever."

"What?" Pearl asked. "You have no experience in health, why won't you just tell me the truth?"

Pearl quickly walked away, but Cinder followed her and forcefully grabbed her shoulder. She then pushed her against the wall with her arm and used her other hand to close her mouth. Pearl was smaller than her, so it was surprisingly easy.

"I'm telling the truth this time," Cinder whispered. "I'll show you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! If you have read this story before, you'd know it's been about two years since I posted and updated it but I'm back and I hope you enjoy! I plan to post a chapter a week or more and to write new stories. If you noticed, I edited Chapter 4 at the end.**

Cinder went into her basement room with Pearl following her. As the entered Pearl covered her nose with her hand, looking over all of Cinder's tools.

"Is it necessary to be here?" Pearl asked. "The smell may kill me,"

Cinder rolled her eyes and responded. "Yes," She then sat down at the old netscreen in her room.

"You wonder why I came back after you and Adri sent me to be tested by the plague?" Cinder said, her fists clenching from the anger of this whole thing. "It's because I'm immune,"

Pearl looked at her and shook her head, but Cinder continued.

"The doctor who works there has no idea why, but he has tested my blood and tried to form it into a cure,"

"Cinder, now I truly believe your a manipulative liar!" Pearl screamed, her anger too, also rising.

"Shhhh!" Cinder quieted her, knowing Adri was in her room upstairs. "I have proof!"

Cinder searched her brain for the proof she claimed, when she found some she turned to the old screen and turned it on. She then searched frantically for the news, so Pearl could see it too.

It was all about the marriage, but nothing else in relation to Kai.

"Okay, okay," Cinder turned back to Pearl, wanting her to believe. "Soon they will reveal that there is a cure to the Blue Fever! Be-because of Queen Levana! The marriage, engagement!"

SPIKING LEVELS OF ADRENALINE.

Pearl looked confused. "What?"

Cinder took a deep breath. "They found a cure without me, I know because I was there as Kai told the doctor. They will announce it soon, then will you believe me?"

"Cinder, your insane story is insane-" She stopped and tapped her chin. "But you never get this frantic, so I'll listen for now, and wait for that news."

"You won't tell Adri?" Cinder asked.

"No I won't," Pearl walked towards the door. "But any favor I ask for, you will say..."

"I will do it,"

Pearl gave a fake smile and went upstairs.

Cinder stood up and leaned against the wall. Cinder was prepared to go deeper into the story, she wasn't sure how deep, just so Pearl could believe here. She might just tell her about Peony, maybe that she was Lunar, maybe that she could be a Lunar Princess.

No, no Cinder was smart enough to not do that.

Cinder had commed Dr. Erland after unsuccessfully trying to take the location off her ID. If she had succeeded she would've visited him, since Levana will leave today, only to come back in a couple weeks. She needed to see him. After waiting in the market she could only think about if she was the princess. It makes sense, yet Cinder was sure that was wishful thinking. After she got everything sorted out there, she would run away with her car.

She looked over the netscreen that a customer brought in a couple of minutes ago and tried to focus on it instead of anything else. She needed money to Adri off her back about her foot and the hover ride to Peony. Cinder hopes if she could double her customers she wouldn't have to walk to work with crutches and a boot full of cloth, to appear that there was something there. She swore she was never putting her old foot back on and she kept to it.

Cinder took off the glove of her human hand so she could use the touchscreen on the net. The model had a big blank purple screen, it was probably a problem with the chip. She then started to take off her next glove because the fabric seam was itchy.

Cinder then heard footsteps and looked up to see the Emperor. She immediately put her hands behind her desk so she could fix that glove that was half off her hand.

"Hello Cinder!" Kai greeted her, in his same grey hoodie over his face.

"Is it safe to be out here?" Cinder asked. "Being an Emperor, or maybe even more so being married. All your fans might murder you,"

Kai chuckled. "You don't even want to exchange customaries before you mention my title and marriage,"

Cinder smiled. "I'm sure you're used to it,"

"Sadly, I am," Kai said.

"Congratulations, though," Cinder smiled at him, though she wasn't happy and was not pleased with herself that this made her unhappy. "On your engagement,"

Kai frowned, he didn't seem happy about it either. "Let's no talk about me,"

"Oh?"

"I'm here to tell you the ball was fun," Kai lingered, standing in front of her messy desk.

"I told you I wasn't going," Cinder told him.

"I know, and like I promised, I'm not asking you to go again," Kai smiled. "Or why,"

Cinder looked at him, why was he here? "You could've just sent a comm with that information,"

"Maybe I wanted to just get a breath of fresh air,"

MESSAGE FROM SAGE DARNEL. Her retina flashed, surprising her, so she moved in her delicate chair, which swayed and fell over.

She yelped, not from the fall, but that her homemade foot fell off. Kai ran towards her to help her up as she rammed her boot against the wall so her leg could go inside it, but it didn't.

He put his arm out then looked at her shoe.

Her retina now flashed about her adrenaline.

"Oh, your shoe fell off," He observed.

She slapped his hand away and yelled, "Go away, Kai!"

He stepped back, confused.

"Why are you even HERE! Leave!"

Kai looked at her, shocked now and turned away. As he left she looked at her leg. The pant covered inches past where leg ended, so it looked like a foot could be there. She sighed and sat up to put her boot on.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi! Just so you know, I've started writing a slight different format. Since for this story I took a big break from writing it, I now have a few different ideas of how I want it to look. I hope you enjoy!

Dr. Erland walked through the marketplace. He hated crowds and tried to make it through as quick as he could. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry too. If Cinder didn't insist he come to meet her, he would be staying at home today, his quiet home, since the plague research was over at the palace. Though, he had some opinions that cause him to do his own private research.

He finally saw a booth that looked like it was owned by a mechanic ahead of him. As he went to the front where he saw Cinder sitting at a desk. It was a messy desk full of screws, metal parts, and a big netscreen taking up most of the space. Cinder was working on the net but looked up at him immediately, with a worried expression.

"Miss Linh, are you okay?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, but, uh, come in,"

"What wrong?" Dr. Erland pulled up a stool to her desk.

"So, so much has happened in the past few days doctor," She informed him.

"Yes, the news I gave you, about," He put his hand up to his face and whispered: "Selene."

"Dr. Erland, something else has happened, and I must tell you, I need to tell somebody," Cinder told him about the girl she talked to and her encounter with Kai.

"I don't know what to do," She confessed.

Dr. Erland rubbed his temple. "There is so much to discuss, Cinder,"

Cinder fiddled with her gloves.

"First things first, I want to explain more about my claim that you are-you know who," Sage said, acting as though someone could hear them.

"That would help," Cinder responded, shaking her head. "I have decided it's crazy."

"You've decided?" Dr. Erland questioned her, confused by her words.

"I mean how could it not be crazy?" She looked him straight in the eyes, her question was not hypothetical.

"Cinder, I have tested your blood and the royal Lunar family matches it. You are by DNA, the daughter of the passed queen Channary," He informed her.

"Who's my father?" Cinder asked.

"I'm not sure, he isn't on the record," Dr. Erland told her.

It makes sense, her and Selene were the same age and burns were more likely to cause her to be cyborg than an accident with a hover, though she had thought this a million times in the past few days.

"Remember how I told you I could use my blood to test for the plague?"

Cinder nodded.

Dr. Erland continued. "I knew the man who rescued you from the fire, he is long gone now, but I knew you were a teen in this area,"

"Then I miraculously showed up in your lab," Cinder kept readjusting her leg. "Was that planned, somehow?"

"No, no, you volunteered, I was no part of that,"

"Adri volunteered, actually," Cinder said under her breath.

"You think she knows and set you up?"

Cinder laughed. "Adri definitely does not know,"

Dr. Erland smiled, he finally found Selene.

"This is crazy," Cinder frowned. It made sense she did. She was just handed information that changed not just her identity, but her life.

Cinder all of a sudden had a realization. "Wait,"

Dr. Erland looked at her as she frowned and put her hands up to her face.

"Did you do the whole cyborg draft just to find me?" Cinder asked.

Dr. Erland knew she would figure this out and not react to it well. It was true, but necessary for him.

"You did!" Cinder pushed her chair away from him. "That-that's sickening,"

"It was necessary, Cinder." He had decided that he could show his reasoning confidently and she would understand.

"All those people, cyborgs, were killed," Cinder yelled.

"Shhhh..." Dr. Erland quieted her. "Your in public, Cinder,"

Cinder shook her head. "I can't believe you,"

"It's not as bad as what Levana does as a ruler." Dr. Erland pushed up his glasses. "And that is the whole reason I did it. Levana."

"What? You want me to overthrow her?"

"Excuse me?" A high, woman's voice said from behind Dr. Erland. He turned around to see an old woman, who was she?

"My portscreen is cracked, could you help me?" She asked, standing awkwardly in the doorway. He realized it was just a customer.

"Of course." Cinder smiled at the woman.

Dr. Erland stood up and moved the stool. "Good luck Cinder, you should talk to him." He then walked out the door and ordered a hover from his port to take him back to the palace. He thought it would be best for Cinder to tell Kai or "him" something. He knew Kai, and he was persistent but Cinder yelling at him might make him give up on her, but Dr. Erland needed Cinder to make an effort with Kai.

Him searching for Selene all this years would be worth it only if Kai believed was at Selene's side. Though, he wasn't even sure if Cinder was at his side even. He would convince her though and eventually Levana would be off her throne. This was surreal that it was happening finally.

He didn't get the chance to tell Cinder about his plans of more plague research. His plans to move to Africa. That is where the plague started and he was sure he could find a connection to the Lunars.

Kai sat at his desk, which was previously his father's. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface. All that was on the desk was just his portscreen, all of his father's things were removed. Kai had to find his own keepsakes to put on there, just like his father. He sighed, Levana could've saved his father and Kai could still be prince. Now Kai had actual work to do and actual people relaying on him. Not just a few people, but a whole country. It was hard to believe he was actually marrying her, it might be saving people's lives, but something told him that Levana had other surprises she was bringing to this marriage as well, bad surprises.

He looked at his hands as he tapped the desk. He choose to wear black gloves today. Gloves. That immediately made him think of Cinder. What was wrong with her this morning? What was wrong with her in general. Her opinions and moods were constantly changing and she said no to him more than any stranger has ever in his life, without telling him way.

Wow, he really did sound like a spoiled brat.

He could admit it was a bit rude to drop in with her after he said no to her so many times. What was Kai doing? He was emperor and married. He was finally going to stop, it wasn't appropriate.

A noise from a comm brought him out of his thoughts. He opened it to see it was from the last person he expected to comm him. Cinder.

I'M SORRY FOR YELLING AT YOU TODAY. IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE.

Kai stared at it and quietly said to himself, "Appropriate."

Maybe he would keep to talking to Cinder. What was wrong with him being friends with her? He needed friends, all he had was co-workers and a crazy fiancé. Part of him felt like emperors shouldn't have friends, though. Either that or Cinder would change her mind about him.

Another comm came in from her.

COULD I TALK TO YOU?

Kai responded, saying how he would love to. He smiled, just friends.

Hi! I hope you liked this chapter. I based the conversation Dr. Erland and Cinder had off the one that had at the beginning of chapter thirty-eight of Cinder. I would really like for you guys to tell me anything else you want to see in this story after one reviewer did, which made me very happy. Also, I'm currently looking for a beta reader for this story, if anyone is interested. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Cinder limped out the elevator onto her floor. She walked through the surprisingly empty hallway to her front door. Usually at this time, people were coming home from work and school and crowding outside their apartment. This time only a few cats were outside.

Cinder opened the front door quietly. She didn't need Pearl or Adri hearing her so they could lecture her about something and waste time she had to work. As she peered inside, she noticed both Adri and Pearl in the living room watching the netscreen. Cinder wasn't exactly sure what they were watching was about, but it was definitely the news. Pearl turned to her as she closed the front door, but Adri's eyes stayed glued to the screen. Pearl looked back at it, not interacting with Cinder, as Cinder walk closer to the screen. She read below the imaging: "Cure for the blue blue fever is getting closer to being found."

Cinder starred at the screen in shock. It was something she expected, knowing about Levana's antidote that was making the cure 'closer to being found', but she didn't expect it to come out so quickly. Cinder wondered how much they had explained about it. Cinder knew that it was because of Levana, which is what she told Pearl. Pearl hadn't talked to Cinder since they had their agreement of Pearl's silence for whatever she wanted from Cinder. At least now Pearl would believe her story of why she was going to the palace.

Cinder started walking away to her room when she heard the sound from the net stop. She turned around to see Pearl and Adri get up. Adri wiped a tear away from her face and quickly rushed to her room while Pearl walked towards Cinder. Pearl starred at Cinder and pointed towards Cinder's room. They both entered it and Pearl sat down on her bed. Her hands were in fists as she crossed her legs. She looked angry and ladylike at the same time.

"Okay, Cinder," Pearl said. "I don't know what in the stars you got yourself into to find out that information, but I believe you,"

Cinder was relieved, but it was a quick feeling as she was weighed down again with everything, including whatever else Pearl wanted.

"Now what can I do for, your highness?" Cinder asked Pearl sarcastically.

Pearl smiled and stood up so she could feel the chip Cinder had on her desk. It wasn't the international chip, but Iko's personality chip. Cinder doubted that Pearl knew the difference. "I'm glad you asked, Cinder." Pearl let go of the chip. "I need you to make something for me."

"Make something?" Cinder repeated. "Make what?"

"I mean, you are a mechanic," Pearl continued. "I need something mechanic-y done,"

Cinder wondered why this is what Pearl wanted, when without the blackmail she'd be forced to do it anyway.

"What could I make for you?" Cinder asked. "Is it legal?"

"Of course it's legal," Pearl scoffed. "I want you to make a holograph of Peony for me," With those words, Pearl's face softened, along with her posture.

Cinder for a brief moment sympathized with Pearl. She could understand missing Peony that much, wanting to just see her one more time, and Pearl had known her for even longer than Cinder had.

"I'll need your port to make one." Cinder could easily upload a holograph and she could do it quickly with Pearl's averagely new model of port. She wondered why Pearl couldn't do it herself.

"I can't have it done on my new port," Pearl reached in her pocket to take out her old one and waved it in front of Cinder. "I need it done on my old one,"

"Your old model can't support a holograph unless you get the software for it and attach it." Cinder leaned against the wall.

Pearl kept waving her portscreen before she responded. "Take it," Cinder rolled her eyes and obliged as Pearl responded, "That's why I'm asking you to do it,"

"Those holographic devices cost money, a lot of money," Cinder crossed her arms. "Why can't I just use your old port?"

Why did everyone in this household expect everything they wanted Cinder to buy be free?

Pearl got up and simply shoved the port into Cinder's hands, since she wasn't taking it. "I'll transfer 100 units into your account,"

"That's not enough," Cinder told her.

Pearl looked Cinder deeply in the eyes while standing right in front of her. "It's all I have to spend, I already spent a lot of my money for jewelry for the ball...Also, don't tell Mom about this," Pearl than left the room and slammed the door.

Cinder wondered why Pearl was so specific about this. She understood that if she didn't want Adri to know that using the old port was a good idea, but why wouldn't she not want Adri to know? Maybe it was to look out for Adri since she was so upset over Peony. Pearl didn't seem like a person kind enough to look out for someone's feeling, though, when it was in the way of her happiness.

Cinder sat down on her bed. She sighed loudly and kicked off her fake boot. Cinder once was normal and in a routine, unlike how it was currently. She would go to the market and work for Adri. She then would come home and talk to Peony and Iko. Ever since Peony died, this routine stopped. She started to form a relationship with the now emperor, Iko was sold away by Adri, Adri volunteered Cinder to the cyborg draft, and she meet Dr. Erland. Now as things became even more complex Cinder didn't know what to do. She wished she could just run away with the car she was fixing, but what is she was Princess Selene?

If Cinder was truly a princess, a lost princess, she didn't know what she would do. If Dr. Erland really believed she would overthrow Levana, Cinder would have to know his plans for her to do that. Anything Cinder could think of would result in Levana killing her. Kai also was someone searching for Princess Selene and he told her information that he hadn't shared with other citizens of the commonwealth. That showed he trusted her, so he probably would react to her news well.

But what else could Kai do if he knew?

Kai being emperor meant that he had to be responsible. Suddenly announcing that he believed a random cyborg was the rightful heir to Luna wasn't responsible for an emperor. There was too many complications to that, such as the fact Lunars weren't allowed on Earth, that believing that would cause Levana to not marry Kai which meant she would probably start a war and definitely she would take away the antidote to the plague, and the obvious fact that many people wouldn't believe him.

Cinder laid down on her bed and took off her gloves. She observed her silver hand, the wires and metal plating. That was who she was to most people, a metal hand. How would people believe she was Princess Selene, when Cinder didn't even believe? Kai didn't even know she was a cyborg and she felt like she had the right to comm him, asking him to talk. That reminded her of the Lunar girl with crazy hair who talked to Cinder about warning Kai. Guilt filled Cinder as she realized she wasn't doing anything to help the girl. That is what Cinder should talk to Kai about, Nanasi and the girl.

Cinder got up from her bed and opened her shelf drawer where the chip laid. She pushed away screws and tools to find it hidden in the corner. She then plugged it into her netscreen, debating if she should call the girl. A comm pulled her attention away.

DO YOU STILL WANT TO TALK? The comm said from Kai.

Cinder bite her lip. She didn't understand why Kai was willing to talk to her after the fact she was a stranger, that she yelled at him the last time they met, and she said no to him many times. Not saying Cinder didn't become very happy that he did seem to care for her enough to do that. She would love to say she wanted to talk to him and tell him all her worries, but she couldn't, it would mess up everything. Maybe she could just talk to him one more time and then leave in her car, alone.

Cinder responded that she would, even though she wasn't sure how they'd meet. She couldn't go to the palace because of Adri tracking her and her foot, though if she could she'd want to see Dr. Erland and finish her conversation with him. Cinder wondered if somehow she could convince Pearl to keep her location a secret. No, she could never. Cinder remembered that she knew Pearl for years, she won't say it was okay, especially since Cinder only had one favor Pearl had asked her that Cinder hasn't even done yet. Cinder could also ask Kai to come to the marketplace, but he was emperor. Going constantly to the marketplace would cause him to be noticed eventually.

Or maybe Kai just wanted to direct comm her.

Cinder pulled out her old foot while waiting for Kai to say something. She starred it down, wondering how to make it larger. That would eliminate at least some of her problems. If she was to be a princess, she should have two feet.

Cinder fallen asleep researching how to make cyborg parts and woke up at dawn. Disappointed, she checked her comms to see that Kai hadn't sent her anything. She looked at her old foot on her shelf. She had a few ideas of how to make it fit better on her, but most of them required expensive parts. Cinder sighed while thinking about her mile long walk to work with crutches. She grabbed a few tools and put the foot on before rushing to the market.

Walking at first felt unstable and painful, but Cinder got use to it quickly. She was upset at herself that it had to come to this, but she's sure that Adri would buy a new foot for Cinder.

When she arrived at the market, it was at its usual loud, noisy self. People crowded around their shop or whatever shop they wanted to buy something at. Cinder noticed two young adults, a woman and a man, that were giving each other a big hug. It took Cinder a second to notice they were two people who worked in the bakery.

"I can't believe they are closer to finding a cure!" The woman said to the man while letting go. Her face having a big, giddy smile.

The man grinned back at her while softly holding her shoulders. His smile slowly left his face as he said, "If only Sasha was here,"

Cinder walked past them while also thinking of Sasha, the head baker who received the plague. It made Cinder smile herself while thinking of their bitter happiness. She arrived at her store and sat down at her desk. As she put up her tools from the bag she had brought from her room, she noticed a man walking towards her booth. Cinder also recognized him, he ran the bank that set up ID chips. He was a nice, middle aged man who always seemed to smile and give out candy to children in his booth. His name was Tran Samuel.

"Hello, Cinder," He said as he entered her booth.

Cinder smiled at him, confused as why he was in her booth. "Hello, Shífu Tran,"

He put a hand through his thinning hair. "I was wondering if I could ask for your services,"

"Of course," Cinder said. "What can I help you with?"

"It's one of my ID machines, it's gone dead,"

"Do you have it with you?" Cinder asked, looking at his bag on his shoulder which could easily fit any of the ID machines she'd seen.

He nodded and took out the long, thin silver tool which usually had the end lit up blue. He put it on her table and Cinder took it. Honestly, she had never worked with one, so she downloaded many documents on them while observing it.

"You'll need a portscreen to look at the different parts of the machine," He explained. "You know, the different settings of whatever ID you're scanning, so you can scan for specific thing, make an ID stuck to give someone, or maybe it could lead you to what's wrong with it,"

She nodded to Tran as an idea sprung into Cinder's brain. Since this machine could also make an ID for someone, Cinder could maybe make it change the one in her body. Cinder just needed to figure out what in the world was wrong with it.

Suddenly a comm came through to her, in her vision flashed:

CINDER, WHERE CAN I MEET YOU? I JUST GOT OUT OF A LONG MEETING AND WILL BE FREE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

Cinder smiled at seeing it was from Kai, but quickly got serious again. She didn't understand him, how he was being so kind to her, just an ordinary person, or at least he thinks she is.

Cinder didn't work on any other customers items, only the ID machine. She did it as quick as she could because the outcome of what she could do with it changed how she could see Kai, and Kai was probably waiting her to say that.

The problem of the ID scanner Cinder realized very quickly. It was still working, the light just went out. It took less than five minutes to realize that after feeling the heat of the machine when she tried to scan her own wrist. Usually the lights would blink instead of staying in the constant blue mode when swiped. Cinder luckily found lights that fit in a package in the back. She remembered buying a set of different sized lights about a month ago. As she screwed them in the machine, it was back to normal. Cinder found that if she searched for an ID scanner with her net installed in her brain, she could easily pick up the one she had and it could be the portscreen. That is probably how androids worked the scanners.

Now Cinder had to do the tricky part. She picked up the scanner and scanned herself once again, but now she could look at her information through her mind. She glanced passed her name, ID number, her account and Adri's to look at her location.

LINH CINDER IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN BEJING MARKETPLACE, WHICH CAN BE VIEWED BY "LINH ADRI'S PORTSCREEN". EDIT.

She went to the "edit" page, surprised at how easy it was to do this.

DISABLE:

"LINH ADRI'S PORTSCREEN"

Cinder then realized that if Adri ever wanted to see Cinder's location, she would noticed it'd be disabled and get even more angry at Cinder.

Cinder needed to think her way out of this. How could she make it look like she was in a different location? She opened a program page to see it was only to program the scanner not her and did many more trial and errors before she was deep in her information, which at first looked at five facts and now turned into everything she could do with it until she found hope. Looking at the location feature she found a way to keep her location permanent.

Cinder jumped out of her chair in excitement, her foot throwing off her balance causing her to sit back down immediately. The only problem to the software was that if she was in her room, it'd say she's was at the market. She'd just have to take the scanner with her, but Cinder didn't dwell on it now. It was only about 12:00, so she still had time to finish her day and start on working with Pearl's hologram. She heard it was complex process of assembling it. She wondered what she could do with her money account, but she didn't act on those thoughts.

She responded to Kai saying she could meet him outside the palace and worked while waiting for his response.

Her life was just a big puzzle right now, and what she needed was to fix it one piece at a time.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm trying to post at least once a week and all your guy's reviews are making me want to even more! It is so satisfying to get a notification on my email about a new review! Anyway, I'm still looking for a Beta Reader for this story, so if anyone's interested just message me.


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